Skiing with Very Young Kids: Top Tips for a Happy Day on the Slopes

Skiing with Very Young Kids: Top Tips for a Happy Day on the Slopes

Taking very young children skiing can be a brilliant family adventure, but it can also be a little unpredictable!

Little legs get tired, fingers get cold and attention spans can disappear surprisingly quickly. The secret is to keep things fun, relaxed and pressure-free.

Here are a few simple tips for making skiing with very young children enjoyable — including a fun chairlift game to keep them entertained on the way back up the mountain.

Keep ski sessions short

Young children don't need to ski for hours.

A short session followed by a warm-up, snack or play in the snow can work much better than trying to keep them going all morning.

It's always better to finish while they're still having fun than to push them until they're tired and fed up.

Make it a game

For little ones, skiing should feel more like play than a lesson.

Follow Mum or Dad, ski towards a colourful marker, make snowploughs, follow tracks or see who can make the biggest turn.

Don't worry too much about technique. If they're smiling and enjoying themselves, you're already doing a great job.

Keep them warm and well-fed

Young children can get cold quickly, especially when they're sitting still on a lift.

Layers, warm socks, good gloves or mittens and a neck warmer can all help keep them comfortable.

And never underestimate the power of a snack! Keep something familiar and easy to eat nearby for when little legs need a boost.

Make the chairlift part of the adventure

For young children, a chairlift can be just as exciting as skiing down the mountain.

Before their first ride, explain what will happen and always follow the lift operator's instructions and the resort's rules for young children.

Once they're comfortable, turn the journey to the top into a game.

The chairlift game: "I Spy"

I Spy is a brilliant chairlift game because there's plenty to look at from the lift, and it works for different ages.

Start simple.

"I spy something red!"

Your child then has to spot it below.

Once they've got the hang of it, make the challenges more interesting:

• I spy someone wearing a yellow jacket.

• I spy a blue sign.

• I spy a snow-covered tree.

• I spy someone wearing a funny hat.

• I spy a chalet.

• I spy a piste marker.

For slightly older children, make it a little harder:

"I spy something beginning with S."

Or turn it into a challenge:

"Can you spot three people wearing red before we reach the top?"

Make your own chairlift treasure hunt

If I Spy becomes old news, try a simple chairlift treasure hunt.

Before getting on the lift, give your little skier three things to find.

A red jacket.
A piste sign.
A funny-shaped tree.

Once they've spotted all three, they've completed the challenge!

You can change the things they're looking for each time you ride, so every chairlift journey becomes a new little adventure.

Spot the animals

For younger children, try a mountain wildlife game.

Pick a few animals together before you get on the lift:

🐰 Rabbit
🦌 Deer
🐦 Bird
🐿️ Squirrel

You might not spot the actual animals, but looking for them — or even searching for animal tracks in the snow — gives little ones something exciting to focus on.

Know when to stop

If your child is cold, hungry or tired, don't be afraid to call it a day.

A successful ski day with a very young child doesn't have to mean lots of runs. Sometimes it's one short ski, a chairlift adventure, some snow play and a hot chocolate.

The aim is to make them want to do it all again tomorrow.

Keep it fun

Skiing with very young children is about creating positive memories, not counting how many runs they've completed.

Keep things short, make the chairlift part of the fun and let them explore the snow at their own pace.

And remember — if they finish the day asking "Can we do that again tomorrow?", you've probably had a very successful ski day.